2025 Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southeast Region
11
Colleges in the Southeast Region
504
Parks & Rec Degrees Awarded
$34,246
Avg Early-Career Salary
Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies isn't the most popular major in the world, but it's not the least popular either. To be more precise it ranks #166 in popularity out of 395 majors in the country. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 11 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for parks, recreation & leisure studies students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 504 degrees in parks, recreation & leisure studies annually.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies School
Your choice of parks, recreation & leisure studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Pick Your Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Degree Level
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies Schools in the Southeast Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat.
Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
Best Schools for Parks, Recreation & Leisure Studies in the Southeast Region
The schools below may not offer all types of parks & rec degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
10 Top Southeast Region Schools in Parks & Rec
Every student who is interested in parks, recreation & leisure studies needs to look into University of Arkansas. UARK is a fairly large public university located in the city of Fayetteville. A Best Colleges rank of #239 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UARK is a great university overall.
There were approximately 79 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at UARK in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make around $31,567 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of Arkansas
Any student pursuing a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies has to look into University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Located in the city of Greensboro, UNC Greensboro is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #549 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UNC Greensboro is a great university overall.
There were about 37 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at UNC Greensboro in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, parks & rec degree recipients typically earn about $31,561 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of North Carolina at Greensboro
East Carolina University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies. Located in the city of Greenville, ECU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #275 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means ECU is a great university overall.
There were approximately 31 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at ECU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program state that they receive average early career wages of $34,751.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from East Carolina University
Every student pursuing a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies needs to look into Georgia Southern University. GaSou is a very large public university located in the town of Statesboro. A Best Colleges rank of #451 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means GaSou is a great university overall.
There were about 43 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at GaSou in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make an average of $31,086 for their early career.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Georgia Southern University
Located in the town of Radford, Radford is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 20th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were approximately 41 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Radford in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program report average early career income of $30,145.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Radford University
Located in the rural area of Shepherdstown, Shepherd University is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 9th out of 25 colleges for overall quality in the state of West Virginia.
There were approximately 36 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Shepherd University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make an average of $34,287 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Shepherd University
UMO is a small private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Mount Olive. This university ranks 46th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.
There were about 10 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at UMO in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program report average early career income of $27,219.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of Mount Olive
Jacksonville State University is a moderately-sized public university located in the suburb of Jacksonville. This university ranks 25th out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Alabama.
There were roughly 23 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at Jacksonville State University in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the parks & rec program state that they receive average early career wages of $31,303.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Jacksonville State University
Located in the city of Mobile, USA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #737 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means USA is a great university overall.
There were about 41 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at USA in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the parks & rec program make an average of $33,557 for their early career.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from University of South Alabama
Located in the distant town of Grambling, GSU is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 28th out of 30 schools for overall quality in the state of Louisiana.
There were about 37 parks, recreation & leisure studies students who graduated with this degree at GSU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, parks & rec degree recipients typically make around $19,830 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in parks, recreation & leisure studies from Grambling State University
